This invention relates generally to agricultural cutting equipment and, more particularly, to blade guides for agricultural sickles.
Sickles used in agricultural cutting and harvesting typically include a number of triangular sickle cutter sections or blades mounted on an elongate, moveable, sickle bar. The sickle bar reciprocates relative to a stationary guide structure on which a number of individual blade guide units are mounted in side by side relationship. As the sickle bar reciprocates, a cutting action is produced between each individual sickle section and the adjacent blade guide.
Agricultural sickles are typically carried on or trailed behind a tractor or similar vehicle with the sickle sections and blade guides facing forwardly. As the sickle moves over the ground, it can encounter a variety of obstacles and foreign objects such as rocks and stumps. Blade guide breakage is a common occurrence, even though the blade guides are typically formed of forged steel. Although the blade guides are removable and, hence, replaceable, such replacement nevertheless requires that the machine be removed from service during the repair. It is preferably, therefore, to avoid blade guide breakage in the first instance.
In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blade guide for agricultural sickles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blade guide that minimizes the potential for breakage in the event of impact with an unyielding object.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blade guide that is tough, resilient and durable in use.